Apparatus for producing solutions



y 1936- e. HAGLUND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SOLUTIONS Original Filed Jan.I2, 19 53 3 Sheets-Sheet l i a mm Gm &

I INVENTOR Gas 7"afflay/und B ATTORNEYS July-14, 1936. H 'D 2,047,628

I APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SOLU TIONS I I Original Filed Jan. 12, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEI QTOR V Guafaf flag/00d I BY v 'ATTORNEY5July14,1936. HAGLUND 2,047,628

I I APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SOLUTIO NS I Original Filed Jan. 12, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR .6215 faf flag/0nd ATTORNEYS Patented July 14,1936 NITIED Patentaktieholaget Griindal-Ramen,

holm, Sweden Stock- Original application January 12', 1932, Serial No.651,244. Divided and this-application fltober 20, 1933, Serial No.694,393. In Sweden 9 Elaims.

This invention relates to the production of solutions and has for anobject the provision of improved apparatus for producing solutions.

More particularly, the invention contemplatesthe provisionof improvedapparatus for use in processes involving the absorption of gases inliquids.

The apparatus of the invention comprises two or more reaction chambers,and means for pass- 10 mg gas and liquid therethrough in countercurrentrelationship and in contact with each other.

The preferred form of apparatus of the invention is provided with meansfor circulating the liquids in the reaction chambers at different rates.

The apparatus of the invention is particularly suitable for use in theproduction of bisulphite solutions in accordance with the process of theinvention described in my copending application Serial 'No. 651,244,filed January 12, 1933, of

which the present application is a division. The apparatus of thepresent invention, therefore,

will be described hereinafter with particular reference to itsuse incarrying out-a process of the type described inmy aforementionedoopending application.

According to the process of the invention described in my aforementionedcopending application, a current of sulphur dioxide gas is passed incontact with a counter-current flow of a suspension of lime in water orin a suitable salt solution. The sulphur dioxide and lime suspension arepreferably circulated through two or more absorption or reactionchambers or towers in series. The lime-is sufiiciently finely dividedthat it may be maintained readily in suspension during the course of theprocess, and the suspension comprising finely dividedlime and liquid maybe easily circulated, for example, by means of pumps. In the preferredprocess, lime and 40 suspension liquor are introduced and the finished"liquor is withdrawn at the same rate.

' According to the present invention, favorable absorption or reactionconditions are obtained- (1) by providing means for circulating the limesuspension through each separate reaction chamber as many times and atsuch a velocity as may be required-by the special conditions prevailingwithin the chamber; and (2) by providing means for regulating oradjusting the supply of suspension from one chamber to another. Thecirculation of the suspensionor the liquid through any chamber can, ifnecessary or desirable, take place at a velocity many times greater thanthrough any other chamber, and, also, the quantitles of liquor that arebrought in circulation through the various chambers can differ loetweenthemselves and vary according to the requirements. The lime suspensionor lime and suspension liquor that is continuously supplied to theapparatus can be distributed and kept in 5 circulation in themannerdescribed in varying quantities in the separate chambers, withoutinfiuencing the continuous flow of finished solution o'f bisulphite fromthe apparatus, whereby a continuous working is insured. 1 0 The sulphurdioxide mayv be caused to flow through the reaction chambers byany'suitable means. Thus, a fan may be provided for creating suction todraw the gas through the chambers, 'orcthe gas may be introduced intothe 15 chambers under pressure. The latter procedure is preferredbecause it is possible thereby to increase the absorption velocity forsulphur dioxide and thus-increase the reaction velocity. The sulphurdioxide gas is passed through the 20 apparatus according to thecountercurrent principle, as has already been explained, and the gaswhen entering the apparatus, consequently, first I comes into contactwith bisulphite solution which is in a practically finished state, andwhich con- 25 tains only very small quantities of unconverted lime andthen passes through the other reaction chambers meeting the limesuspension which contains ever increasing quantities of lime.

The invention will be better understood from .30 a consideration of theaccompanying drawings in which are shown several preferred embod1- mentsof the invention, and in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a form ofapparatus comprising three cylindrical containers or 35 ,towers arrangedat the same elevation and each provided with a separate conicalcollecting chamber for liquor; I

Fig. ,2 is a side elevation of the apparatus illus- I trated in Fig. 1;40-

F ili'ig. 31s a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5 arerespectively end and side elevations in section of apparatus similar tothe apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but in which 45interconnected collecting chambers for the liquor are disposed below thecontainers or towers;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation of apparatus similar to 50 I that shown in Figs.1 to 3 but in which the cylindrical containers or towers are arranged atdifierent elevations.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises three similar unitseach comprising a cylindrical tower or container. The upper part III ofeach tower or container is arranged as an absorption reaction chamberwhich can be conveniently filled with rings, coke or pumice lumps manyother suitable packing material for obconnecting the upper portion ofthe reaction chamber and the lower portion of the collecting chamberwith the pump.

For transporting the liquid or suspension from one container to another,branch pipes l5 providedwith suitable valves are arranged which connectthe pipes i3 and the upper part of the reaction chamber III of theadjacent container.

The collecting chambers are connected by means of conduits l6 and trapsl9 to permit the fiow of liquor from one collecting and concentratingchamber to another so that the level of liquor in all collecting andconcentrating chambers will be equally high, independent of the specialcirculation conditions prevailing in the separate collecting andconcentrating chambers and the reaction chambers.

For the supplying of liquid and solid agents such as water and lime,funnel-shaped pipes I! or the like are provided, and pipes ID areprovided for the flowing oi! oi the finished liquor. The gas such assulphur dioxide is supplied through a large pipe or conduit 20 whichcommunicates with the lower portion of the reaction chamber of the lastcontainer of the battery (where the solution or suspension leaves thebattery), and from the upper part or this chamber passes to the lowerpart of the reaction chamber of the container next before,.and in thisway proceedsthrough the battery. In the pipe 20 from the first containerof the battery a valve 2| is arranged for regulating the gas pressure,in case the gas is added under pressure.

Under certain conditions it may be desirable to -"have an extra stirringarrangement, for instance a a propeller or the'like, in the lower partof the collecting and concentrating chambers, which can serve as anauxiliary medium in addition to the pump, for keeping solid substancesin suspension. Such an arrangement may be particularly desirable in thelast container otthe battery from which the finished solution is drawn.For this reason, a stirring device 22 is arranged in the last collectingchamber or thebattery. Stirring devices may also be arranged in theother collecting chambers. p

'I'he'apparatus illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 also comprises a battery ofthree similar units each comprising a cylindrical container or reactionchamber 23 which may be filled with suitable packing material 29 as inthe case or the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. Collecting andconcentrating chambers 24 are disposed directly below and in directcommunication with the reaction chambers. Each unit is provided with acirculating system comprising a pump 25 and pipes 26 and 21 connectingan upper portion of a reaction chamber and a lower portion of acollecting and concentrating chamber with the pump. The collecting andconcentrating chambers are provided with distributing devices 28comprising a trough arranged pivotally and provided with holes 28' and ahandle 28". By means of these distribution devices the suspensionleaving a reconcentrating chamber to the left oi. the corre-,

sponding reaction chamber (Fig. 5) is then again circulated through thesame reaction chamber. The portion supplied to the collecting chamber tothe right, on the other hand, is circulated through the next reactionchamber oi the battery, or, in the case of the last chamber, is drawn onfrom the battery. Consequently, the distributing devices 28 serve thesame purpose as the branch pipe IS in Figs. 1-3.

-:The collecting and concentrating chambers are connected by means ofconduits 30 to permit the flow of liquid from one collecting andconcentrating chamber to another so that the liquid level will be thesame in all chambers. A funnel-shaped pipe BI is provided forintroducing liquids and solids, and adischarge pipe 32 is provided forwithdrawing the finished liquor. The gas is supplied through a largepipe or conduit 33 arranged to conduct the gas through all of thereaction chambers in series, the gas entering each chamber at the bottomand leaving at the top. A valve 3 is provided for regulating the gaspressure. The last collecting and concentrating chamber 24 of the seriesis' provided with a stirring device comprising a suitable shaft having apropeller. and a pulley 36 mounted thereon. The pulley may be connectedwith a suitable source of power (not shown).

The apparatus shown in Fig. 7 comprises a battery of three similarunits, each includinga cylindrical tower or container similar to thetowers of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. The cylindricaltowers of the diflferent units are mounted at different elevations, oneabove another. The upper part 31 of each tower is filled withsuitablepacking material, and the lower conical part 38 forms a collectingchamber for the liquid.

conducting liquid from the uppermost and intermediate collecting andconcentrating chambers to the upper portions of the intermediate andlowermost reaction chambers to maintain the liquid in the differentcollecting chambers at the same levels.

Liquid is introduced into the system from a supply tank 44 by means of apump 45 and a conduit 46 connected with the upper portion 01' theuppermost reaction chamber. A iunnelshaped conduit 41 is provided forintroducing the liquidinto the supply tank. A pipe 48 connected with theupper portion of the lowermost collecting and concentrating chamber isprovided for withdrawing finished liquor.

The gas is supplied through large conduits 50 arranged to conduct thegas through all of the reaction chambers in series, the gas enteringeach chamber at the bottom and leaving at the top. A valve 5| isprovided for regulating th gas pressure. Y

. r 3,047,029 The last collecting and concentrating chamber velocity ofthe separate containers has no inin the series is provided with astirring device 52 similar to that provided in' trated in Figs. 1 to:6',

' Apparatus of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 may be employed forproducing bisulphite solution in the following manner. Through thetunnel l'l, water or liquor from which the bisulphite solution isto beformed, and also a quantity of finely crushed lime or quick lime,proportional to the desired composition of the bisulphite solution, isadded so that the water or the solution with the suspended lime willtill the first collect-- ing and concentrating chamber ii. From thecollecting and concentrating chamber the suspension is forced throughthe pipes I3 and Il by means of the pump II to the upper part of thefirst absorption or reaction chamber In and thenflows downwardly throughthe chamber which, as hereinbefore pointed out, is preferably filledwith filling material of some kind, and then returns to collecting andconcentrating chamber H. During the course of its downward passagethrough the reaction chamber, the suspension meets ascending sulphurdioxide gas, introduced through the pipe 20, which is absorbed in theliq- -uor and reacts with the substances dissolved or k suspended in theliquor.

While passing upwardly through the'piping it, part of the suspension isdirected through the branch pipe 55 to the second container oifthebattery. The suspension entering the second con-.

tainer is circulated by means of the pump and the apparatus ilius-.fluence on the quantity of liquor flowing 'irom the apparatus.

The operation of apparatus of the type illustrated in Figs. 4 to 'I willbe clear from a consideration of the operation of apparatus of the typeillustrated in Figs. 1 to 3.

In the operation of apparatus of the type illustrated in Fig. 'l for thepurpose of producing bisulphite solution,'a suspension of lime in water10 or a salt solution is introduced by means of the ,pump 05 and thepiping associated therewith from the supply tank 44 into the upperportion of 'the uppermost reaction chamber 31. When the liquor in theuppermost collecting and concen- 15 trating chamber 38 has reached acertain; level,

, the suspension flows through the uppermost pipe 83 to the reactionchamber of the container lying immediately below, and, in the same way,

from the collecting and concentrating chamber 20 of this container tothe lowermost container. In other respects, theoperationof the apparatusis the same as the'operation oi the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to6.

It is to be understood that in the designoi the 25 apparatus describedand the combination of the various parts, such alterations ormodifications may be undertaken as do not. influence the fundamentalprinciple of the apparatus and which are in agreement with the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

ll. Apparatus of the class described comprising Piping associatedtherewith during the including an upper absorption or reactionchamcourse of such circulation-'9' Pqrtmn her and a lower collecting andconcentratin 35 pension passes through the second branch pipe it to thelast container of the battery, from which the finished bisulphitesolution is continuously withdrawn through the outlet it along with limethat may not have been consumed, or with sus pended insoluble substancesformed, which aiter= ward settle in a settling tanls outside the apps.-ratus (not shown).

The quantity of suspension pwnng from one container to another isdetermined by the special conditions in each container. In the containerinto which the suspension is first introduced it is T chambei', meansfor introducing suspension into one or more of the collecting andconcentrating chambers, means providing for'the passage oi suspensiondirectly from one collecting and concentrating chamber to another, meansfor circulating concentrated suspension from the lower portion of one-or more collecting chambers through one or more'reacti'on chambersassociated therewith, means associated with the circulating means fortransferring concentrated suspension h'om one or more containers to oneor more other containers, and means for passing a gas through thereaction chambers in series coun tercurrent to the directionof now ofcirculating suspension therein.

2. Apparatus according to claim ll, character= ized in that one or moreof the collecting and concentrating chambers is provided with a stirringdevice. 3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a plurality ofreaction chambers, a plurality of collecting and concentrating chambersassoci bers, conduits providing means of communication bers (conduitsl6) such a flow of Suspension from between the interiors of the reactionchambers 0 one container to another does not cause any rise of thelevelof liquor in the collecting and concentrating chamber of the lastnamed containerthe level of the liquor'being kepteatthe same height inall the containers. In order to prevent the gas from passing through theconnection conduits it, those conduits are provided with traps l9.

As all thecollecting and concentrating chamand the interiors of thecollecting and concentrating chambers, means for circulating liquid fromthe collecting and concentrating chambers to an upper part oi theassociated reaction chambers whereby it will flow downwardly through 5hers communicate with One anot e q t y downwardly. through each reactionchamber, and

of liquor which is continuously flowing from the last container of thebattery. will naturally be equal to the quantity which is being added atthe inlet end of the apparatus, also in a continuous means for passing agas'through the reaction chambers in series counter-current to thedirection of flow of circulating liquid therein.

a. Apparatus of the class described, comprising manner, hence it isevident-that the circulation a battery of twoor more sections; eachsection 7 comprising a reaction chamber and a substantially conicalshaped collecting and concentrating chamber associated with the lowerpart of the reaction chamber, means for introducing suspension into atleast one of the sections, means for transporting relativelyconcentrated suspension from the lower portions of the collecting andconcentrating chambers partly back to the tops of the reaction chambersassociated therewith and partly to the adjacent sections of the battery,means providing for the flowing of relatively dilute suspension fromtheupper portions of the collecting and concentrating chambers throughthese collecting and concentrating chambers in series and having thereintraps to prevent the flow of gas therethrough, and means providing forthe passage of gas through the reaction chambers in series in contactwith the suspension flowing therethrough.

5. Apparatus accordingto claim 4, characterized in that thesections arearranged at substantially the same elevation and that the means fortransport of suspension from the lower portions of the collecting andconcentrating chambers comprises pumps or the like and conduits leadingto the upper portions of the reaction chambers associated therewith andbranch conduits leading to the adjacent sections.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the sectionsare arranged one above the other and that the means for transport ofsuspension from the lower portions 01' the collecting and concentratingchambers comprises pumps or the like and conduits leading to the upperportions of the reaction chambers associated therewith and branchconduits leading to the adjacent sections.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, character-" ized in that the sectionsare arranged at substantially the same elevation and that the means fortransport of suspension from the lower portions of the collecting andconcentrating chambers to the reaction chambers associated therewith andto the adjacent sections comprises distributing devices placed below thereaction chambers by means of which distributing devices suspensionpassing from one reaction chamber chamber associated with the lower partof the recan be passed partly to one collecting and concentratingchamber and partly to another collecting and'concentrating chamber andconduits communicating between the lower portions 01' the differentcollecting and concentrating chambers and the upper portions of thereaction chambers associated therewith, said conduit being provided withmeans for inducing a flow through the conduits from the settlingchambers.

8. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a plurality of reactionchambers, a plurality oi collecting and concentrating chambersassociated with the reaction chambers, means for introducing'a liquidinto the collecting and concentrating chambers, means providing for thepassage of liquid through the collecting and concentrating chambers inseries, means providing for the withdrawal of concentrate from the lowerportion of the collecting and concentrating chambers and the passagethereof through the reaction chambers, and means for passing a part ofthe concentrate from the reaction chambers to the collecting andconcentrating chambers from which withdrawn, and a second part to thecollecting and concentrating chambers next in series.

9. Apparatus 01 the class described comprising a battery of two or moresections, each section comprising a reaction chamber and a substantiallyconical-shaped collecting and concentrating action chamber, means forintroducing suspension into at least one of the sections, means fortransporting relatively concentrated suspension from the lower portionsof the collecting and concentrating chambers, partly back to the tops ofthe reaction chambers associated therewith and partly to the adjacentsections of the battery,

means providing for the flowing of relatively dilute suspension from theupper portions of the collecting and concentrating chambers throughthese collecting and concentrating chambers in series, and meansproviding for the passage of gas through the reaction chambers in seriesin contactwith the suspension flowing therethrough.

GUSTAF HAGLUND.

